Introduction -- Children´s participation and the role of spokespersons -- Good participation by children in official systems -- Children’s expectations and experiences of participation start in ECEC -- How Greenland is actively involving children in decision processes -- Children’s participation in child and family services A conceptual analysis -- Child participation in alternative conflict resolution processes in family law conflicts -- The capacity of Swedish legal cultures to enable a right to participation for children in custody cases: Insights from and in Sweden -- Participation as seen in children's perspectives and understanding -- Ethical and professional boundaries for child participation -- Participation by children from the perspective of the child -- The perspective of actors regarding possibilities and challenges in children's participation -- Students' participation and influence in school: How can we make visible and establish new norms in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Education Act in Sweden -- Collaborating with children: Intergenerational research encounters -- Conclusions and summary: The way forward towards empowering futures with participation.

Open Access

This open access volume analyses the conditions needed for greater participation of children in social change and development, focusing on Nordic countries. With the idea that citizens of future societies are best placed to envisage their ideal future, and that societies must receive children's trust and participation, the volume looks at existing social, legal, and economic norms, and discusses the various challenges at the institutional and societal levels in involving children. The contributions consider the perspective of children and of other actors in the process. The editors and authors begin with the premise that the lack of a functioning collaboration between children as actors and institutional actors who are supposed to work with/for children can lead to serious consequences, such as a lack of trust in society's representatives and in the legitimacy of legislation. The volume draws empirical evidence and discussion points from cases of children’s participation in family litigation, school regulations and related areas in various Nordic countries. It therefore shows the path to the rest of the world towards a more equitable and just future involving children’s active participation in their and society’s future. .

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